


Let the Force Decide

by jamieherondxle



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 02:29:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13114059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamieherondxle/pseuds/jamieherondxle
Summary: *SPOILERS FOR THE LAST JEDI*After the events of The Last Jedi, Ben and Rey are struggling even more with their force bond, on opposite sides of the Force as enemies of each other. Rey reaches out to Ben in an attempt to put an end to the war, proposing a one on one duel.More chapters to come!





	Let the Force Decide

“Ben. Ben.”

The bond had been silent for weeks, and Rey had been glad of it. Glad of it — but only at first.

The resistance was growing desperate. The allies had still not arrived, and everyday they were painfully aware that they were woefully outnumbered. The resistance needed more numbers, more weapons, more allies — and those things were coming, but too slowly. Too many delays, too many things they did not have provision for.

It was hard to reach out, now. Before, it had happened almost involuntarily, and then with increasingly regularity, but now it was as if all the sensitivity blunted. A nerve that had been cut out, and now healed over, but mangled, turned numb. It was still there, but almost opaque sense of blankness. Sometimes, it felt taut — as if both of them were pulling frantically in opposite directions, facing away from each other. But it was an _effort_. In any moment of panic, or fear, she felt that familiar feeling, slipping downwards, as if into sleep, a comforting softness, almost unnoticeable — and then at the last moment, hauled herself back up, realising what was on the other end.

She settled back, and closed her eyes, concentrating. If their bond had managed to split apart all those ships, then it was powerful enough to overcome Ben's stubbornness.

“Ben? I need you to listen to me.”

Then, with a blink of an eye, he was there, it seemed. Had he heard her, that first time, and had simply been weighing up whether or not to ignore it? She could not see his surroundings. There was a faintness around him — an indistinctness around his face. He looked dark, wretched, exhausted, dogged; miserable. She could tell from his expression that he could read everything she’d just thought, and the subsequent decision to ignore it.

“What do you want?” The tone was flat, emotionless.

“I want to end this.”

“This? What is ‘this’?”

“This war. You don’t care about the resistance — not really.”

“Oh, really.” Now, he began to stalk towards her, his footsteps thumping in those boots; hands fisted at his sides. Her eyes traced the scar ribboning his face, running down beneath his jaw.

“Yes. You don’t want to defeat them.”

Now, he was only about a metre away from her. “You’re wrong.” Some emotion pooled his dark eyes, but she couldn’t tell what.

“No. I’m not.” She took a step towards him, trying to give the appearance of confidence. “I know your feelings. You want to defeat _me_ , not the rebellion.”

He paused, and looked her up and down consideringly. “Is this what you came here to tell me?”

_Came here_ , she thought — as if they were in the same place as each other. “No. I want to propose that we end this — and whoever wins….concedes to the other.”

His answer was whip-sharp. “And what if I win?”

“Then… the rebellion will die.” That word, _die_ , it seemed to have a palpable, chemical effect in the atmosphere. It immediately brought back that ghost of the time they were in the throne room. _It’s time to let old things die. Join me_.

He scoffed, but his eyes gentled for a moment, as if he could sense the mutual memory unfurling between them, but there was no hint of a smile round his mouth. “If we're fighting to the death...how can the resistance concede?"

She swallowed. "I'll give orders."

"Orders? You don’t have the authority to give orders--”

“ _I_ don’t? Do _you_?”

He stepped closer, heavily, angrily. “I am _Supreme Lead_ —“

“You’re _trying_ to be. And….yes…so are others in the First Order. Tell me, what is it like to be, sitting on that throne? Do you feel happy now? Do you feel that the First Order adores you? Do you think they’re afraid of you? Or do you think they ridicule you? Behind your back, what do they say? Does Hux plot against you, Ben—“ 

"Shut up. Shut up.” His hand shot out, and she felt the force clamp brutally around her mouth. She was forced back against the wall.

His face rippled in hatred. He panted heavily and stepped closer to her still, towering over her. She had to tilt her head right back. "And don't call me that." His voice lowered, roughened. “You have to be mad. To think you could actually win against me.” His eyes, confused now, travelled over her face.

She wiped the clamp around her mouth away easily. “No," She spat. "I won on Starkiller Base, and back then, I was just an untrained scavenger. But I won.” He looked away, a dark lock of his hair falling over his face, brushing his cheekbone.

“Ah, but you were never just that. It’s as Snoke said: powerful light, powerful darkness.”

“Yes. You want to defeat _me_. You need to, if you’re ever going to be Supreme Leader. So fight me. Just us.” She paused, and she could see the proposition beginning to tempt him — he was starting to imagine it, imagining the victory, the thrill of it.

She pressed it. A whisper, now. “Light, or dark. Let the force decide.”

He looked down towards the ground. “The force….tell me,” His eyes met hers again. “Do you still dream about me?”

She frowned, horrified, about to protest. _I've never--_

“Ah, you do.” A slight, gratified smirk came over his face. Suddenly, she could see his dreams, snatches of them, rippled images busting out between them. She had forgotten these — she had pushed them down somewhere inside her. But she recognised them. An awful, sickening guilt settled inside her. “I can it see there. In your eyes.” From nowhere, so delicately it was almost intangible, his finger brushed along her cheekbone. Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t look away.

His expression cleared, and he stepped back. “Well, then, when should this be?”


End file.
